Storage of Emergency Airway Equipment on Labor and Delivery Units

(J Clin Anesth. 2022;80:110886 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2022.110886) The imperative need for an operational and prepared environment in labor and delivery (L&D) units, particularly for emergency cesarean delivery (CD), underscores the requirement for a readily available operating room. This preparedness extends to having emergency airway equipment in a state of readiness for immediate use. In an academic tertiary referral institution, which handles ~4600 deliveries annually (with 70% classified as high-risk patients), emergency airway equipment was initially stored preprepared beneath a towel on the front shelf of each anesthesia machine.